recipes

Baked Vegetarian Risotto

We had an impromptu invite to my husband’s cousin’s home in Palermo and I felt a little guilty as ten of us landed in for supper. With a blink of an eye, Ornella made the most delicious baked risotto, including Sicilian fennel sausages. This recipe is a vegetarian version of Ornella’s dish but you can adjust to suit your tastes.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 250g fresh cherry tomatoes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Roma Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 300g Roma Risotto rice
• 200g mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 litre hot vegetable stock
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C / Gas 7.
2. Place the cherry tomatoes in a casserole dish and sprinkle over the onion and olive oil.
3. Roast for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are softened.
4. Stir in the rice, thyme, garlic, vegetable stock and some salt and pepper, mixing well together.
5. Cover and return to the oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
6. Meantime, pan fry the mushrooms with the spring onions in a saucepan with butter. When cooked, add to the risotto in the oven and stir well.
7. Check that the rice is tender (al dente) – it may require a little more stock and serve immediately.